Lufthansa has added three new digital baggage services.
Passengers can:
- track where their baggage is currently located
- use electronic bag tags
- print bag tags on plain paper
Track baggage
Passengers can use a link on their mobile boarding pass in the Lufthansa app to track where their baggage is currently located.
Upon arrival at their destination airport, the app informs the passenger of the specific baggage carousel and (starting in June) the exact time of the delivery of their luggage.
This service offer will initially be available in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, and Milan, and then gradually extend to include other airports.
If, in exceptional cases, their baggage hasn’t all come on the same flight, the passenger receives a notification and can quickly and easily send a forwarding order via a filled out form over a link in the Lufthansa app.
Wait time at the baggage carousel and the trek to the Lost and Found desk become unnecessary, as the luggage will arrive later at home or their place of stay.
Electronic tag
Another innovation in baggage handling is Lufthansa’s cooperation with RIMOWA.
While today’s suitcases and travel bags must still be checked in by hand and labelled with a “paper tag”.
From March 14, 2016, Lufthansa passengers will be able to use a digital tag.
Using their digital boarding pass, they can submit data from their smartphone with just one tap, via Bluetooth, to their baggage equipped with the RIMOWA Electronic Tag. The baggage data will immediately appear on the data module integrated into the case.
The checked suitcase must then only be placed on the conveyor at the Lufthansa Baggage Drop-off desk. The baggage data displayed on the electronic display corresponds in size and appearance to current paper tags. Important information is protected from humidity, heat, cold, falls, and jarring, and cannot be torn off.
After successful tests with customers since fall of last year, launch will begin on March 14, 2016.
To use this though, passengers have to use special RIMOWA baggage with the digital tag built into the bag. At around £1,000 / 1300 euros / $ 1400 each , RIMOWA suitcases can cost as much as an entire holiday.
Self-print tag
In parallel, Lufthansa is introducing home- “printed baggage tags” as part of a test with the European Commission.
Passengers for flights within the EU can print their “baggage tag” at home on standard paper and place them in a transparent sleeve attached to the case.
Baggage handling at the airport then functions quickly and comfortably at the Self Bag-Drop machines or at the Check In desk.
N.B. Image credit: lufthansaflyer.com
